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Bali tightens entry rules for tourists, ditches GeNose tests
Passing a GeNose breathalyzer test is no longer sufficient for tourists to enter Bali, Governor I Wayan Koster has said.
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T
he Bali administration has issued a circular stating that domestic tourists may only enter the province after obtaining a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or antigen swab test. The requirement applies even to those who are vaccinated.
The letter was issued as part of Bali's public activity restrictions (PPKM) enforced amid rising case numbers on the island and across the country. Bali has recently logged some 200 new COVID-19 cases a day, up from only 40 new daily cases in late May, according to government data.
“We are tightening requirements for domestic tourists coming to Bali. We only accept PCR and antigen tests, [not] GeNose tests. This regulation will come into effect on Wednesday,” Bali Governor I Wayan Koster said during an online press briefing on Monday.
GeNose, a locally developed COVID-19 breathalyzer, has been used at 21 airports, including Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, since April.
Tests with the breathalyzer are cheaper, less invasive and produce quicker results than PCR tests. However, GeNose trial data has not been published in any peer-reviewed scientific journal, which has prompted concerns from medical experts.
Read also: Government rolls out GeNose screening test at 21 airports
Wayan went on to say that domestic tourists traveling to Bali by air should present a negative PCR test taken no more than two days prior to their arrival, while those traveling by sea could also opt for an antigen swab test.
He added that the PCR test result should include a QR code to ensure its authenticity.
“If you have received a COVID-19 vaccine, you still need to present a negative PCR test if you want to come to Bali,” Wayan said.
He added that, as of Monday, 71 percent of the people in Bali had received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 24 percent had received the second jab.
Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno had announced that Bali would reopen for international tourists by the end of July but backtracked on that plan following the recent surge in COVID-19 infections in the country.
Read also: Bali reopening to foreign tourists delayed as COVID surges: Sandiaga
However, Wayan said he hoped Bali could still reopen as initially scheduled, arguing that locals, especially businesses, wished to welcome more tourists.
“We hope that, despite the increase in national COVID-19 cases, maybe if we have more direct flights [from different countries] to Bali, that will make [the reopening] possible,” he said.
